Data Driven: Purdue vs. LSU

Each week during Purdue football, GoldandBlack.com will take a look back at the Boilermakers’ most recent outing through Pro Football Focus data and analytics. Today, we look at Purdue’s 63-7 loss against LSU in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl.

PURDUE OFFENSE

Snap Counts

Quarterback
Austin Burton 42
Michael Alaimo 25
Jack Albers 11

Wide Receiver
TJ Sheffield 65
Deion Burks 48
Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen 46
Mershawn Rice 25
Tyrone Tracy 22 (split between WR and RB)
Preston Terrell 10
Collin Sullivan 10
Zion Steptoe 7
Alex Maxwell 4
Trey Firestone 1
Ben Van Noord 1
Andrew Sowinski 1 (injured on first play)

Running Back
Devin Mockobee 48
Caleb Lahey 10
Dylan Downing 2
Tristan Cox 2 (fullback)

Tight End
Paul Piferi 47
Drew Biber 31
Ben Buechel 6

Offensive Line
Mahamane Moussa (LT) 67
Josh Kaltenberger (C) 67
Eric Miller (RT) 67
Sione Finau (LG, RG) 67
Marcus Mbow (RG) 45
Zach Richards (RG) 35
Jared Bycznski (LG) 12
Malachi Preciado (C) 11
Andre Oben (LT) 11
Nalin Fox (RT) 11

GRADES AND SUCH

• Between rushing and receiving, nobody graded particularly great for Purdue, as you may expect. In limited snaps, Ben Buechel came away as Purdue’s highest-graded offensive player.

Purdue’s offensive line actually graded pretty well in pass protection. Marcus Mbow and Mahamane Moussa each had strong grades here. They’ve been everything Purdue could’ve hoped for and then some this season. Good building blocks for the offensive line moving forward

PURDUE PASSING GAME

• Tough day for Austin Burton, obviously.

• His pass chart:
Clean: 11-20, 73 yards, INT
Pressure: 1-4, 1 yard
No Blitz: 12-23, 74 yards
Blitzed: 0-1

Concept:
P/A: 1-6, 11 yards, INT
No P/A: 11-18, 63 yards
Screen: 3-4, 17 yards
No Screen: 9-20, 57 yards, INT

Michael Alaimo didn’t take over until early in the third quarter. The game was over by the time he entered.

His pass chart:

Clean: 4-9, 38 yards, TD, INT
Pressure: 0-1
No Blitz: 3-5, 22 yards
Blitzed: 1-5, 16 yards, TD

Concept:
P/A: 2-2, 21 yards, TD
No P/A: 2-8, 17 yards
Screen: 1-1, 14 yards
No Screen: 3-9, 24 yards

• Probably not ideal when the best pass play of the day came from Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen on a trick play

• Neither Burton nor Alaimo graded particularly well, but Alaimo graded better of the two

• 10 targets for TJ Sheffield in this one. Mockobee saw six and Burks five. Four drops were assigned to Purdue receivers: two on Burks, one each on Tracy and Terrell. There’s nothing particularly noteworthy from the receivers’ grades.

PURDUE RUN GAME

• Purdue didn’t get much going, but it’s hard to expect much given the game conditions. 26 of Mockobee’s 48 yards came after contact.

PURDUE DEFENSE

Snap Counts
Defensive Line
Prince Boyd Jr. 34
Kydran Jenkins 32
Khordae Sydnor 29
Jack Sullivan 28
Nic Caraway 27
Cole Brevard 26
Lawrence Johnson 26
Mo Omonode 20
Sulaiman Kpaka 20
Joe Anderson 15
Branson Deen 14

Linebacker
OC Brothers 54
Kieren Douglas 43
Jacob Wahlberg 24
Semisi Fakasiieki 19
Scotty Humpich 17

Secondary
Jamari Brown 70
Cam Allen 66
Sanousski Kane 60
Bryce Hampton 54
Jah’von Grigsby 54
Antonio Stevens 40
Brandon Calloway 5
Reese Taylor 1 (injured on first play)

GRADES AND SUCH

• Purdue’s defenders combined to miss 26 tackles and make 44. That about sums it up, as LSU’s speed and athleticism gave Purdue fits.

• Purdue’s safeties didn’t come away with strong grades, as Cam Allen and Sanoussi Kane each struggled

• In his first real action as a Boilermaker, Jah’von Grigsby had a nice day.

• Purdue’s defensive line grades reflect the lack of pressure that Purdue was able to get on LSU’s passers. Not a whole lot going there.

• LSU averaged more than four yards after contact on each run and 7.9 yards per carry

• 10.1 yards per passing attempt for the Bayou Bengals. That’s a really big number, as Purdue really missed Cory Trice and Jalen Graham.